Hanger for picture and mirror frames



Dec. 26, 1967 G. R. BEYER 3,360,229

HANGER FOR PICTURE AND MIRROR FRAMES Filed Dec. 5, 1965 INVENTOR. @PAM/PQ fi? flaw 9 ,4 T TO/PNE Y United States Patent M 3,360,229 HANGER FOR PICTURE AND MIRROR FRAMES Y Gerhard R. Beyer, 511 th Ave.,

New York, N.Y. 10017 Filed Dec. 3,,1965, Ser. No. 511,393 2 Claims. (Cl. 248496) This invention relates to picture or mirror frame hangers and, more particularly, to a unitary element having a series of integrally formed, spaced apart hook elements for accommodating the hanging wire of a picture frame or the like at different levels.

A salient feature of the invention is the provision of a picture hanger element which may be secured to the wall in an approximate location as to height, after which a picture frame or the like may be hung thereon at different levels, depending upon the matter of individual taste or choice of the decorator.

A further feature of the invention comprises a series of numbers or letters, or the like, embossed or otherwise impressed, in graduated sequence upon the respective hook elements. A particular number may be recorded for each picture frame when the latter is removed temporarily for painting the wall, for example, so that the picture may be replaced at the same level as before.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a pair of horizontally spaced apart indentations in the region of the nail fastening of the device which permits the insertion into or cooperation with the claw of a hammer for convenient removal of the device from the wall.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification.

The features of novelty which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth herein and will best be understood, both as to their fundamental principles and as to their particular embodiments, by reference to the specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention shown secured to a wall, a portion of the securing nail being shown in dotted outline;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and further illustrating the manner of engagement of said device by the claw of a hammer, partially shown in dotted outline;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is enlarged view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view of the frame hanger illustrating another means for securing said hanger to a wall.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the device of the present invention comprises a unitary, elongated element, generally designated 11, which may be molded or otherwise formed of a rigid plastic material such as Bakelite, nylon, and the like, or of other suitable material as wood, metal, and the like.

Element 11 has a plurality of vertically spaced apart upwardly extending integrally formed books 12, the forward portions of which are all equally spaced from the rear wall portion 13 of element 11. Formed between hooks 12 is a plurality of vertically spaced apart grooves or recesses 14 which incline downwardly toward the rear wall 13 of element 11 and within which a wire 16 or the like attached to a picture or mirror frame (not shown) may be accommodated. In some embodiments, hooks 12 and recesses 14 would, respectively, be equidistantly spaced apart.

3,360,229 Patented Dec 26, 1967 lCC Formed at the top of element 11 is a head 17 having a downwardly inclined aperture 18 which slidably accommodates a nail 19 which may be driven obliquely into wall 21 in order to secure element 11 thereto. Head 17 has a pair of spaced apart inclined grooves 22 and 23 extending to the top of element 11, said recesses accommodating the two tines 26 and 27, respectively, of claw 28 of hammer head 29 attached to hammer handle 31.

When it is desired to remove the hanger element 11 from the wall 21, tines 26 and 27 of hammer head 29 are inserted into respective recesses 22 and 23 of head 17 and by the leverage motion of hammer handle 31 force is exerted to extract nail 19 from wall 21 along with hanger element 11.

Although hanger element 11 may be made without any particular markings thereon, in one embodiment thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 1, a series of numbers are embossed or otherwise applied in numerical succession upon the respective hooks 12. Thus, a picture or mirror frame may be re-hung upon said hanger element in accordance with the particular hook 12 whose number has been noted as previously carrying wire 16 attached to the frame. Although the index marks are shown in FIGURE 1 as comprising a succession of consecutive numbers, it is understood that said marks may comprise a succession of alphabetical letters or the like.

Hanger element 11 may readily be molded as a unitary piece in a suitable die and made of inexpensive materials so that it may be sold cheaply in large quantities. The indicia or numbers of hooks 12 may be concurrently molded thereon during the molding of hanger element 11. Hanger element 11 may also be made of transparent, translucent or colored plastics for blending or harmonizing with decorator color schemes.

It is understood that normally wire 16 is secured to the vertical portions of the picture or mirror frame a distance below the top thereof whereby the engagement of wire 16 with the lowest hook 12 of hanger element 11 will place the frame on the wall so that the top horizontal portion thereof will be located above the top of hanger element 11. Regardless of the particular hook 12 that engages wire 16, in most cases it will not be necessary to determine precisely the vertical location of hanger element 11 when the latter is secured to wall 21. The height of the picture can be readily adjusted after hanger element is secured to wall 21 by inserting wire 16 into various grooves 14 by trial and error means.

Instead of applying the hanger to the wall by means of nail 19, hanger 11 may be applied to the wall by means of glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, or the like, applied as a layer 32 to the rear surface of said hanger. In other embodiments, layer 32 may comprise a thin strip of plastic foam, both sides of which are coated with thin layers of pressure sensitive adhesive material.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. The invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A frame hanger comprising a unitary, elongated element, a plurality of spaced apart means integrally formed on the front side of said element in vertical array, any of said means being selectable for hanging a frame thereon, means on said hanger for attaching the latter to a wall, a head formed at the top of said element and at least one recess in said head removably accommodating an imple- 4 ment for exerting force on said head to remove said ele- References Cited 2 g? Wall' 1 t d 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS rarne anger comprising a uni ary, e onga e e ement, a plurality of spaced apart means integrally formed Etsurogl on the front side of said element in vertical array, any of 5 173714 5/1938 zg i 248 304 X said means being selectable for hanging a frame thereon, 2:126:63) 8/1938 Gleitsman 248498 X means on said hanger for attaching the latter to a wall, 2 76 4 817 10/1956 Schwartz 248 2O5 X and a pair of recesses formed at each side of the top of 2877972 3/1959 Sutton at g; 248 493 X said element, said recesses jointly accommodating the two 2:917:179 12/1959 Casey et claw elements of a hammer head for facilitating the re- 10 moval of said element from said wall. JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FRAME HANGER COMPRISING A UNITARY, ELONGATED ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART MEANS INTEGRALLY FORMED ON THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID ELEMENT IN VERTICAL ARRAY, ANY OF SAID MEANS BEING SELECTABLE FOR HANGING A FRAME THEREON, MEANS ON SAID HANGER FOR ATTACHING THE LATTER TO A WALL, A HEAD FORMED AT THE TOP OF SAID ELEMENT AND AT LEAST ONE 